Published: October 20, 2009 11:24 am      

Chase ends in Pontotoc County

Galey — A man who eluded authorities several times Thursday was arrested after he allegedly tried to break into a home in northwest Pontotoc County.

Like the movie “Smokey and the Bandit” the man drove a fast car and outran police. Unlike the movie, which ended with a laugh, this scenario ended with a woman terrified for her family’s safety.

The multi-county pursuit reached high speeds before being called off after the man, Larry Phillip Yonge, 53, Ypsanti, Mich., eluded authorities somewhere near Roff.

After eluding the police, Yonge later reportedly drove through a fence, damaging the vehicle’s radiator. He drove the vehicle into the driveway of a residence near Galey just after sunset.

The homeowner — who would only speak on condition of anonymity — said she went to the door to see who it was.

She couldn’t identify the driver because of the darkness of night, but believed it was a relative whose car looks just like the one driven by Yonge.

“Then this guy gets out and I had my door open and he was telling me how he just ran through a fence going 80 miles an hour and his radiator was broken,” she said.

Yonge reportedly tried to force his way into her home. The woman slammed the door shut and her child used a phone to call family members.

The homeowner’s father was in a nearby pasture tending to livestock when he got the call and rushed to the residence. Her grandfather also arrived and they dealt with Yonge while the homeowner drove to another relative’s home to call 911.

“At first he just acted like he’d messed his car up,” the homeowner’s father, who also wished to remain anonymous, said. “We were trying to help him at first, then he started saying something about running from cops and this and that. Then he got kind of scary after that.”

They called central dispatch who sent deputies to the residence. When deputies arrived, they arrested Yonge on suspicion of first-degree burglary, driving in a manner not reasonable and proper, leaving the scene of an accident, and reckless driving.

The pursuit began when Pauls Valley Police attempted a traffic stop on Yonge’s vehicle. He fled and reportedly ditched authorities.

The cold pursuit heated up when Yonge was spotted in Stratford. Stratford police, along with Garvin County sheriff’s deputies, reportedly chased him into Pontotoc County.

The patrol cruisers were no match for the 2008 Ford Shelby Mustang GT driven by Yonge. He eluded the authorities just after entering Pontotoc County.

There was no information on why Yonge was in Oklahoma but he reportedly deputies at the scene he had mental issues and hadn’t taken his medicine in 30 days.

He is being held without bond until he goes before a judge. He has a hold placed on him for Pauls Valley police who have a felony warrant for eluding.